


Cast Adrift

by Oreneta



Category: Vampyr (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Existential Crisis, Geoffrey has issues, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Near Death Experiences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Substance Abuse, Unreliable Narrator, suicide ideation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:07:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28795869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oreneta/pseuds/Oreneta
Summary: The leech doctor had shaken his convictions, stripped him of his main reason to fight. Could it be truly possible for a vampire to not be a remorseless murderer?The truth was that he didn’t want to kill Reid anymore, at least not the Reid that gave out medicine in the poorer districts of London and ate rats in dark alleys to avoid feeding on humans. Geoffrey wanted him to slip up, kill someone so he could at last put the matter to rest. But even if he did, how would he end him? Just a few hours ago, he had struggled to off a few stray skals. His stamina was failing and his reflexes slowing. His current athletic skills paled in comparison to when-Geoffrey’s eyes flicked to the pocket where he always kept the flask. No, it wasn’t a good idea. He rationally knew that it was a mistake. He had always been told not to use it unless it was absolutely necessary, and only have a few droplets.Or alternatively:Geoffrey McCullum has a crisis and copes in the worst way possible.
Relationships: Geoffrey McCullum/Jonathan Reid
Comments: 15
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to yet another fic I have to finish! This was meant to be a oneshot, but I ended up deciding it was better split into two chapters, and I'm too giddy about this first part to wait for the second to be done to post!
> 
> I hope you like!

When the leech doctor left London without much of a warning, Geoffrey hadn't expected him to eventually return. They had believed he had fled, though Geoffrey had called off the Great Hunt. He had told the leech that Priwen wouldn't actively pursue him, unless he slipped up from that nature defying pledge to do no harm, after all. 

Honestly, Geoffrey didn't have high hopes on that. It was just a matter of time before they found some incriminating proof of the leech's voracity. And yet, it hadn’t happened yet. Months passed and the number of Skals out in the streets decreased significantly.

It was all thanks to his men and women of Priwen, of course, but the numbers only started getting smaller after Reid had asked for King Arthur's blood claiming to need it to stop the epidemic. At the time, Geoffrey hadn't given much thought to it, and humbled by his defeat in a battle against the vampire he had given in and donated a few droplets. It wasn’t like they would run out of it anytime soon.

He hadn't been the same since that battle at the hospital attic. The rush of power the blood had given him had come with a downside once the effects burned out. He became painfully aware of his old scars and ailments, from the usual back pain to the knee fracture that never healed quite right.

He was getting older, and though his predecessors had fought for Priwen well into their fifties, it was time to start looking for a successor. Still, his warrior's pride had him keep his faltering strength a secret, and fight as normal despite his worries. Whether it was his age or something else entirely, he would fatigue much sooner than before his encounter with the doctor. It frustrated him to no end.

"Is something the matter?" One of his trusted officials asked him a particular evening. He had thrown the metal flask containing the blood of King Arthur against the wall in a bout of anger. Given how paper thin the walls were, every Priwen member would have heard that.

"Nothing." He grumbled back.

Morgan didn't reply straight away. The taciturn man picked up the flask and gingerly placed it on the desk. 

"You know I don't believe you, sir." He shot stern brown eyes at Geoffrey. Though he was almost ten years younger, Morgan's fatherly look of disapproval always got under his skin. 

"And you know I don't give a fuck about what you believe. Now git." 

Morgan simply shook his head and left the room with a loud creak on the door. It was a miracle that it hadn’t fallen off its hinges yet. Geoffrey sighed and rubbed at the shaved sides of his head. He was due for a haircut.

A week after word arrived that Reid had returned, Geoffrey found himself on a stool at the Turquoise Turtle. It had been a particularly exhausting night, both in body and soul. The alcohol made his ever growing aches disappear, but the tormenting demons inside his head only became louder.

He couldn’t continue like that. The leech doctor had shaken his convictions, stripped him of his main reason to fight. Could it be truly possible for a vampire to not be a remorseless murderer?

The truth was that he didn’t want to kill Reid anymore, at least not the Reid that gave out medicine in the poorer districts of London and ate rats in dark alleys to avoid feeding on humans. Geoffrey wanted him to slip up, kill someone so he could at last put the matter to rest. But even if he did, how would he end him? Just a few hours ago, he had struggled to off a few stray skals. His stamina was failing and his reflexes slowing. His current athletic skills paled in comparison to when-

Geoffrey’s eyes flicked to the pocket where he always kept the flask. No, it wasn’t a good idea. He rationally knew that it was a mistake. He had always been told not to use it unless it was absolutely necessary, and only have a few droplets. 

But he had also been told that all leeches were a pest, and that turned out to be wrong.

Geoffrey paid the tab and left the pub. The amount of drinks he had taken weren’t nearly enough to get him drunk, though many of his captains would disagree. _Fuck them_ , he grumbled to himself as he headed for the darkened streets with wobbly steps. 

It didn’t take him long to find a couple of Skals nearby a sewer entrance. He would later reprimand the squad in charge of the docks that night for doing a piss-poor job. Cold fingers dove into the internal pocket and grabbed the flask. Geoffrey slowly removed the lid and brought the container to his nose. It smelled metallic, with a hint of dust. Just like the last time he’d used it.

His initial intention was to drink a few droplets, but he raised his hand too high and a full swig ended up sliding down his throat. The taste was absolutely disgusting, Geoffrey noted as he wiped his mouth with his hand and repressed a heave. The effect was almost immediate. It was as if a weight was lifted off of him and a lightning bolt was running through his veins. It made him burn inside, which he didn't recall happening the first time.

But no reason to dwell on that. He struck the first skal with a bolt, alerting them both, and unsheathed his sword. He surprised himself as he pierced bones with a single strike. Blood splattered against the wall, its smell mingling with the vapours of the Thames and intensifying. With his newfound strength, he had dealt with the leeches in no time. Reduced them to a pile of mush, in fact. 

However, the high faded fast. Much quicker than expected, actually. One moment he was running through the streets in search of more skals to eliminate, and in the next he had toppled against a wall. His head was spinning madly as his stomach contents spilled out. Whether the blood had been regurgitated along, he couldn't see in the dim of the night.

Geoffrey didn't know how much time had passed until a patrol of his own men appeared and hurried to aid him. 

"Geoffrey! What happened?" Someone asked, though the hunter couldn't quite see his face. "Ignatius, carry him."

He was grabbed by his armpit and held up while someone else patted his clothes in search for any injury.

"Mmm fine." He slurred. "Drank too much."

As he slowly regained control of his own body, he started to recognise the faces around him. The leading member of the squad was Harrison, a veteran soldier who had been in Priwen for even longer than Geoffrey.

"Of course you did." He shook his head. "Let's get you home."

Home. Yes, Priwen had been the closest thing to that for Geoffrey, and its members his family. Then why did he feel so alone? All his life he had dedicated to eliminating leeches, protecting humanity from the beasts that lurked in the night. But for the last few ones, he had felt hollow. He was standing on shaky ground.

"I can walk on my own." Geoffrey protested as they crossed the gates out of the docks. He stumbled his first steps before finding balance. All eyes were on him.

"What? I can return fine on my own." He adjusted his coat, but not the hair falling onto his sweat-coated forehead. "Go back to your patrols."

The soldiers looked at each other for a few seconds, before Harrison stepped forward.

"You head back. I'll escort him from here."

Geoffrey didn't need any help, but he didn't protest. He looked at his faint reflection on a window display. Did he truly look that disheveled? He could only see himself as he always had been.

"So, care to tell me what's bothering you?"

Geoffrey turned to face Harrison's calm blue eyes and greying hair. He was a capable fighter, and an experienced leader. He had been offered to lead Priwen years ago, but he had refused, and now he was too old to even be considered for the position.

"No." Geoffrey replied flatly and continued walking. 

Harrison sighed.

"As stubborn as always. Have it your way then, but don't bottle it up. It will kill you."

Geoffrey rolled his eyes. What he did or didn't do was nobody else's business. He was the leader of Priwen, he wasn't supposed to need anyone.

"You should take some days off." Harrison continued. "You're not a young lad anymore."

The veteran hunter didn't miss how Geoffrey tensed up or how shock showed up on his face for a second. 

"Ah, so that's the problem." He placed a hand on Geoffrey's shoulder, who gritted his teeth. "It happens to all of us, Geoff. There's no need to be ashamed."

Geoffrey pushed the comforting hand away. Though he respected the older hunter, he didn't like how patronising he could get.

"I have no issue with my age. And I don't need any breaks."

They were only a few streets away from their base, so he picked up the pace. Before the conversation could properly continue, Geoffrey was able the men standing guard by the front door.

"You can't keep going like this!" Harrison shouted out, but Geoffrey ignored him. He left towards his quarters and locked himself in. He didn't bother undressing himself before hopping onto his bed and falling asleep almost instantly.

The next evening he woke up later than usual, after nightfall. Normally, he'd be woken up an hour before sunset, but he only heard the knocking on the door a few seconds before getting out of bed.

Geoffrey prepared himself to shout at whoever rookie had been sent to bear the brunt of his anger, but once he saw who was on the other side he changed his mind.

"Why wasn't I woken up on time?" He grumbled instead. 

Higinia frowned. She carried a tray with breakfast on her. It contained some sausages, usually reserved for those injured, or in the process of recovery.

"I was told you would be staying in tonight, sir. They said you weren't feeling too well this morning."

Geoffrey sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. It took a lot of willpower not to lash out on Gin. The ever so kind nurse was stronger than she looked, but still someone he didn't want to feel unwelcome. After all, she was one of the few medics they had, as well as a great emotional support for many of his men.

"Betrayed by my own captains…" Geoffrey picked the tray. "I am fine. I simply overdid it with the alcohol." 

Gin brought her hands to her hips.

"You should take better care of yourself. No one wants to see you get injured. We are all looking up to you."

Despite the reprimand, something about her words made Geoffrey feel slightly better. Only slightly.

"Thank you, nurse. You are dismissed." He closed the door before she could protest.

Sitting on his desk, he devoured the toast and the sausages without barely breathing. The previous night's events had surely taken a toll on his body, making him ravenous. Once he was done, he checked the state of his coat -muddied- and took out the flask of King Arthur's blood. It certainly felt lighter, he noted as he idly played with it while he went through the nightly reports. How much had he actually drunk last night?

Eventually he grew too restless to stay on his desk all night. He missed the thrill of the previous night, the way he breezed through as he brought those skals a permanent death. He slammed the flask against the table. It was wrong. He'd already suffered the consequences of such reckless behaviour. He had felt so weak afterwards, and to top it all, made a fool of himself in front of his men. No, he wouldn't drink the blood ever again.

Still, he kept it in his pocket as he went outside for a stroll. He had refused to go accompanied. He wasn't going on a hunt, he simply wanted some fresh air.

However, fate seemed to have it against him, and the walk was anything but relaxing. Out of all the things he could have stumbled upon in the dark, filthy streets of London, he met with the worst of them all.

"Evening, McCullum."

Though he had prepared to turn around and leave as soon as he spotted him, the leech doctor took notice of his presence before he could turn tail. 

"Evening." He grunted in response. As much as he wanted to flee, he refused to show any signs of weakness. It went against Priwen's and his own code.

"Is something the matter?" Reid's brows furrowed with seemingly genuine concern. "You seem unwell." 

That was the most insulting thing about him, how he didn't see Geoffrey as a threat anymore. His attitude was now one of condescension, and hadn't he been such a strong leech, Geoffrey would have broken their truce then and there.

"I'm fine." He replied without a second thought. "Mind yer business, leech." 

What was that Reid saw with his inhuman skills? Geoffrey knew of their ability to smell illness in other's blood, and it certainly explained how easily he was able to help civilians during his rounds. For better or worse, he was a good doctor.

Still, the seed of doubt had been planted. Was it an illness that had made Geoffrey feel so exhausted? Was it only old scars what Reid had noticed? The slump he was currently in? Not that it mattered because he refused to let the leech examine him further.

"Apologies. I didn't mean to overstep." Reid raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I will take my leave then. Until the next time."

He vanished into the shadows, and Geoffrey felt himself relax once his presence had left. Somehow, his left hand had crawled its way under his coat, hovering above the flask. He really needed to put that thing away.

The following night Geoffrey was back to business. His squad had encountered many feral leeches, which were dealt with swift and easily. He felt energised, and was reminded of the importance of his cause. Afterwards, they all went for some drinks at the Turquoise Turtle, though Geoffrey didn't drink much. 

He had always liked the bite of alcohol, the stronger the better. It was a flavour he seeked on the regular, a poison that put him at ease after a risky night of work. Now though, it was another drink that he craved, and he wasn't happy about that. It was disgusting, rancid in a way, so why did he keep seeking it? 

"Fuck." He mumbled to himself as he walked down to the canal. He outstretched his hand towards the water, flask beneath his fingers. He just had to let go of it and all his troubles would be gone. 

His hand trembled. It was a lie, actually. His troubles would always come back to haunt him. If Harrison was right, which he was, they would only increase in amount. Besides, the blood of King Arthur was too valuable a relic to just toss out. It was his own human error what had made matters worse, not the vile liquid. 

He pocketed the flask and slumped against the rusted railing. Though it was cold, he stayed outside for a few more minutes, watching the other side of the canal and how his breath condensed into mist.

"Nothing like the chaos from months ago."

Geoffrey was startled until he saw the familiar silhouette standing beside him. He hadn't been subtle either, given the raised eyebrow Morgan gave him. It certainly was unlike Geoffrey to be so unaware of his surroundings.

"Aye." Geoffrey attempted to collect himself. "How are the new recruits doing?"

During the skal epidemic, they had been forced to send untrained men into the fight. It had weighed heavily on Geoffrey, using them as cannon fodder due to the lack of time and resources. Now that things seemed to have returned to normal, the number of recruits had decreased, and they could focus on instructing them proper. 

"Not bad." Morgan leant against the railing. "They all seem to have potential." 

Optimistic but level-headed, Morgan had proven his loyalty and leadership skills many times. Though he was no strategist or innovator like Geoffrey was, he could make a decent leader.

Geoffrey sighed. They had gone through that conversation many times before, and Morgan had refused each and every time. 

"It's near sunrise." The younger man observed. A subtle ray of light could be seen peeking over the horizon. Geoffrey yawned.

"I'm returning to base." He stretched, and his joints cracked. "Don't let the lads stay up too late."

Morgan nodded back. Yes, Geoffrey thought, they would be in safe hands.

At that time of the day most leeches had already found a dark hole to crawl into for shelter. However, on his way back Geoffrey saw a small group of Skals hunched over an alley, not far from the usually crowded streets. A shiver ran down his spine when he realised they were feeding on something. He unsheathed his sword, but didn't attack right away. 

There were half a dozen of them, too many for a single hunter to deal with. Unless…

His left hand toyed with the flask lid. Letting them go would be a risk for the city, and the fact that they were defiling the poor victim's body only made his blood boil.

One last time, Geoffrey decided. He'd take one last sip of the relic and then pack it away forever. He put the flask on his lips more eagerly than he would ever admit and let a few drops slide down his tongue. This time at least it didn't taste as disgusting as usual. 

He felt the familiar burning sensation course through him and dashed forward with rejuvenated energies. Geoffrey had the element of surprise to his advantage, dealing the first three strikes before the leeches could react. By the time they had all stood up and gone after him, he had felled three of them. 

"Watch out!" 

Geoffrey turned around just in time to see a blinker be tackled away by a shadow. Of course it had to be the leech doctor, swooping in to save the day. Geoffrey grunted and stabbed the next Skal right in the heart. 

"Go away!" He removed the sword from the leech's chest with a wet sound. "I don't need your help." 

Reid blatantly ignored his order and bit down on the last one's neck. The creature twitched and struggled for a few seconds before falling limp on the ground. Disgusting.

Geoffrey looked at the body the Skals had been feasting on. Thankfully, it was only the carcass of a stray mutt, and not a human corpse. 

"Are you injured?" Reid asked, and it was hard to take seriously with the blood still dripping down his beard. "Your heartbeat is erratic."

Geoffrey hadn't realised how fast his heart was thrumming on his chest until the doctor had mentioned it. Even after the fight had ended his body was still alert, and his breathing was jagged.

"Of course I am!" Geoffrey barked. "What did you think I was-"

Suddenly the ground was coming closer. Before he hit the hard cobblestones, a firm hand had taken hold of him. Geoffrey wanted to pull away, but his body didn't respond. 

Something clinked against the ground. Reid picked it up with his free hand. It was the flask.

As Geoffrey’s vision blurred, he saw the leech doctor shake it lightly. His voice was dead serious.

"McCullum, what have you done?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanking BlueEyedArcher for helping me with the fic title!
> 
> And thanks to the crew at the Pembroke Hospital discord server for encouraging my writing and for being a bunch of cool folks. I love you all!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning of brief suicide ideation in this chapter!  
> Hope it's not too overwhelming though.
> 
> As always hope you enjoy! I certainly had fun writing this chapter.

“Let me go. I am fine”

Geoffrey McCullum was, in fact, not fine. 

As if he had lost all of his strength, all of his muscles had clamped down. They refused to move no matter how much he tried. All he could do was protest as Reid dragged him along to, in the leech doctor’s words, “somewhere safe”.

“I can assure you are not. Not with the amount of Ekon blood you have ingested.”

“The what?”

Geoffrey’s heart rate had not slowed down and the new information didn’t help ease his pulse. His head was starting to hurt as well. Everything was spinning in circles and his breathing was still erratic despite his attempts to fix it.

"I am as surprised as you are, but my sources are reliable. Had I known you would act so recklessly, I would have told you sooner."

There was no sign of smugness in Reid's voice, only guilt, regret. It made him look more human than he deserved. 

"You are lying." Geoffrey's voice came out more breathy than intended. "This is all your doing, isn't it leech?"

Reid didn't reply right away. He opened the door to an abandoned building and locked it behind them. All the windows had been carefully boarded up, keeping the rising sun at bay. 

"You really are stubborn. I'm too exhausted to argue with you." Protested Reid.

In order to go up the stairs, Reid used both of his arms to carry Geoffrey bridal style. It was humiliating to say the least. Being kidnapped by a leech in a moment of weakness was not how he wanted to go to the other side.

But instead of draining him dry, Reid carefully stretched him on the bed. He let out a tired sigh.

"It really hasn't stopped." He said, more to himself than to Geoffrey. "This medicine may help, unless…"

He opened this coat, and Geoffrey could briefly see the absurd amount of tools, vials of medicines, and weapons he kept in his inside pockets. Damn leeches and their superhuman strength.

Reid raised Geoffrey's head, his hands very gentle and cautious. Geoffrey couldn't believe he was allowing a leech to manhandle him like a toy, but his body still wouldn't respond.

"Drink this." He angled the bottle of liquid against his lips. It had a bitter, strong smell of herbs.

"No way I'm letting a leech-" Reid took advantage of him opening his mouth to spill the contents onto it. There was no smugness in his face, only focus creasing his brow.

Geoffrey sputtered and coughed, but he had already swallowed enough of the nasty concoction. It was truly repulsive, the way it tasted. 

"This should help improve the blood flow. However…"

Geoffrey was getting tired of his games. He shot Reid the deadliest glare he could muster given the situation.

"However what? Cut to the chase or leave me alone already."

That last option was obviously out of the menu. The sun had already made its way into the sky and Reid was unable to leave. Unless he was polite enough to get out and let the light burn him to a crisp, and Geoffrey could only hope.

"There really is no way to put it softly." By the way Reid slumped on the floor, he was struggling to resist the exhaustion that drove all leeches to sleep during the day.

"Your heart is failing, Geoffrey. And the rest of your organs seem to be faltering as well." He rubbed his dead, icy blue eyes with a shaky hand. "You will not make it to tonight, dear hunter."

It took a few seconds of awkward silence for Geoffrey to process those words. 

He was dying. 

He would die bedbound, trapped in the same house as one of the same creatures he had sworn to eliminate.

"What? And you are going to let me die in here instead of taking me to a hospital?" Geoffrey was beyond furious, but his heart could not beat any faster. "This is how you find joy? Seeing others suffer a miserable death?"

That last accusation had struck a nerve.

"That's not it!" The calm and collected doctor finally showed his fangs, metaphorically only. "There is nothing that modern medicine can do. I am deeply sorry, I didn't expect your condition to become so severe."

Reid's eyes had started to redden, but not because he had overfed recently. It was really hard to doubt his words when his facial expressions seemed so genuine.

"Just fuck off, Reid." Geoffrey closed his eyes. "I don't want your face to be the last thing I see before dying."

Now that the shock was fading and resignation settled in, Geoffrey was starting to feel the exhaustion. 

"I understand." Reid stood up and left the room. Whichever place he had decided to make his bed instead, Geoffrey didn't care.

He stared at the ceiling for a long time. He thought about his life, the stupid decisions that had led him to where he currently was. Anything to keep him from falling asleep. He knew when he did, he wouldn't wake up again. 

Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid sleep forever. Without any warning, rest finally took him away.

He woke up. 

At first he thought it was all a dream, but he had truly woken up. And not just that, he could move again, and he didn’t feel his heart racing anymore. He felt completely fine.

Geoffrey groaned and rubbed his eyes. His restless sleep had left him with a dry mouth and a knot in his stomach. Afterimages of his dreams were still flowing in his mind. Horses, steel clashing and blood flowing. The face of a man he had never seen before. Nothing that seemed out of the ordinary when it came to dreams, though.

He stood up and his joints didn’t crack for once. He felt exhausted, but definitely not ill, much less on the verge of death. That obnoxious leech doctor had been wrong in his assumptions. 

Geoffrey peeked through the boards covering the nearest window. The sun had already dipped beneath the horizon and its orange light was fading. Reid would awaken soon, if he hadn't already.

Sword in hand, he tiptoed out of his room in search of the leech doctor. He finally found him in an adjacent room, asleep while awkwardly sitting on an armchair. Geoffrey exhaled. He didn't know leeches could fall asleep with their mouths open.

Geoffrey raised his sword, but sheathed it after a few seconds. To strike Reid at that moment would be risky. He could wake up any second. So he left the building instead. His men were probably worried about him not returning the previous morning, and he really needed a meal.

Geoffrey was right when he had assumed they would increase the patrol numbers to find him. Even the greenest of rookies were out in the streets.

"Yes, I am well. Not git." He replied to the first one to approach him before he could mutter a word. 

"But… We were told to escort you to base." The green eyed rookie replied. "Captain Morgan's orders."

Of course he would. Geoffrey raised an eyebrow.

"And who has more authority? Morgan, or me?"

The rookie opened and closed his mouth, visibly nervous. The poor chap wasn't particularly bright, or skilled with a weapon, but he had nowhere else to go. Many others at Priwen had joined for the same reason, and Geoffrey couldn't really reject them. Everyone deserved a chance and a roof under their heads, after all.

"You, sir." He finally said as he looked down, embarrassed. 

Geoffrey pat his shoulder.

"Stay safe, lads." And then he added an afterthought. "If you see the leech doctor, tell him I am still standing."

Thankfully, the walk back to base was uneventful. A Priwen lorry driver found him halfway there and offered a ride. He also gave more details to Geoffrey, explaining that aside from his disappearance, it was a calm night so far. They had barely retrieved any Skal bodies for subsequent burning, little bodies piled on the back of the vehicle.

In front of the door to the base was Harrison waiting. Geoffrey didn't like the way he was scrutinising him. 

"So," He blocked the door with his own weight. "Care to explain where you have been?"

Geoffrey crossed his arms. He would have kicked Harrison out of the way, but he still respected the old man.

"That's none of your business."

Harrison hummed and restarted his examination, a smug grin on his face.

"Unharmed, your hair a mess… So you've finally found yourself a sweetheart." 

Geoffrey felt the blood rush to his face.

"Will you tell us who is the lucky gal? Or is it just a lady of the night?"

It was no secret that many Priwen members entertained themselves with street workers. Fortunate ones would find instead a lover and eventually left the guard to start a family. 

However, Geoffrey had singularly focused on his hunt, and everyone knew that. The truth was that he wasn't interested in women in the least, and he had too much of a strong image to maintain to let anyone know that he preferred another type of company.

That didn't include leeches though, and the mere concept of him having a sexual encounter with one was downright insulting. Even if it was Reid, and he was as classically handsome as one could be. A leech was still a leech.

"Piss off Harrison."

He would enter the building through the back door, where there was no one to ask questions. 

The base was quieter than usual, a consequence of Morgan sending everyone out. Geoffrey couldn't complain. He rummaged through the kitchen and found some leftover stew and boiled potatoes to eat. He took his meal to his office where he could eat it without being disturbed.

Geoffrey found himself out of appetite halfway through. The stew was blander than usual and he practically had to force himself to swallow each spoonful. 

His stomach had also seemed to disagree with the food. As soon as he stood up, bile rose up to his throat and he spilled everything he had ingested onto the floor.

_ Disgusting.  _ He determined it was most likely a bug or the effect of last night's incident and didn't give it a second thought as he fetched a mop. 

Afterwards, Geoffrey couldn't focus in the least. He was still peckish, but he didn't want to try eating the stew again. His hand had unconsciously moved to the inner pocket where King Arthur's blood had once been. Worry set in when he realised he had left it with the leech doctor. 

Who knew how many experiments he would do with it now that he had more than a few drops. Especially when he thought it was Ekon blood, which Geoffrey was now doubting it was. Yes, it had affected him severely but he was still alive and human, so it couldn't possibly be tainted with the same curse that coursed through all leeches' veins.

Geoffrey's foot tapped insistently against the floor. He was too restless, desperate to burn some energy. It was also one of the rare nights where his knee didn't ache, so hunting a few Skals wouldn't hurt.

When he left his office, he saw that many of the patrols had returned early. Many soldiers greeted him and asked about his well-being, to which he responded with grunts and monosyllables. 

"Going out again?"

Harrison crossed his arms as Geoffrey approached the entrance of the building. 

"Need to stretch my legs." He responded flatly. 

"Uh huh." Replied Harrison, unconvinced. "At least let us know if you will return before sunset." 

Geoffrey rolled his eyes and wondered if he could chop the man in half and get away with it.

"What, am I everyone's babysitter? I left tomorrow's patrols on the desk. Work it out on your own if I'm gone."

Harrison stared silently for a few seconds, then chuckled.

"Of course, boss. Have a pleasant night."

Geoffrey fumed as he left, not bothering to clear up what Harrison had implied. His definition of a good night was him hunting leeches, anyway.

Which meant he was having the worst of nights, because there were no leeches outside to be hunted. Except a particular one, and he had an uneasy truce with him.

"McCullum! You're alive!" 

Reid had hopped from down a roof with the same unnatural grace as always. He had a mix of surprise and worry on his face.

"No thanks to you." Geoffrey almost rolled his eyes.

"This doesn't make any sense. You're human." 

Reid moved forward, arm stretched out reaching for Geoffrey, who stepped back, ready to strike the hand if it got too close.

“I believe you have something that belongs to me,  _ leech _ .” Geoffrey made sure to add extra bite to the last word.

The leech doctor winced ever so slightly, and it brought a small satisfaction to the hunter. He then opened his coat, and took a small vial from a chest pocket. Murky, dark red fluid stained the glass from the inside.

“I took the liberty to put it in another container, for easier access.” 

Geoffrey squinted. There were barely a few drops worth of liquid in that minuscule glass vial.

“What the hell, Reid? Where’s the rest of it?” He ripped the object from the cold, dead fingers holding it. Reid must have used it on his scientific experiments without a care of how valuable that blood truly was.

Reid put his hands up to show he meant no harm.

“I haven’t done anything with it, I promise.” He spoke in his low tone, the desperate one he always used that urged Geoffrey to listen to him. “This is all that was left in the flask.”

Geoffrey gritted his teeth, staring down at the Ekon and his clear blue eyes. At least he certainly hadn’t drunk any. Who knew what effects it would have on a powerful leech like him.

“Don’t you realise, McCullum?” He continued. “You’re the one who drank the rest of it. This isn’t any of my doing.”

Geoffrey pocketed the vial, ignoring the knot forming in his throat, the little voice urging him to remove the cork and drink up the dregs. Reid was right, and that's what he hated the most.

“You understand nothing.” The hunter readied his sword. Despite everything that had happened in the last few nights, he felt ready to take on the leech doctor if need be. “Now get off my sight and don’t come back. The next time I see you, I will kill you.”

Both of them knew it was a bluff. Even with the blood of King Arthur he hadn’t been able to defeat Reid. But the ever so pacifist Ekon left anyway. He truly didn’t seem very fond of bloodsheds, despite his wretched nature.

Once he was sure he wasn’t being watched from the shadows, Geoffrey allowed himself to lose his composure.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” He kicked a nearby fence with all of his strength. The brittle, rusted metal gave in with a loud shriek. Now he really needed to hunt some leeches.

Before his self hating thoughts became too overwhelming, he found his soon-to-be first victims of his rage. A few stray Skals had decided to come out of their hideout in search for some fresh blood. They were instead met with the cold steel of Geoffrey’s blade.

The building they had come out of had previously been inaccessible for him or the rest of the Guard. The only accesses had been through windows too tall to reach, while the door and lower floor windows had been boarded up and covered with debris. This time, though, Geoffrey had found the rubble pushed aside and the door off its hinges. It was most likely thanks to the job of the construction workers, who after the epidemic ended were able to return to their usual work of renovating derelict buildings.

The hunter ventured inside without so much as a second thought. The main corridor reeked of rot and dust, but thankfully it was illuminated enough for him to avoid stepping on the decaying corpses of the victims. 

The rustle and crackling from a few rooms away was a clear indicator that he had found a full nest of leeches. He was soon met with shining eyes glaring at him, but before they could pounce on Geoffrey, he had already fired a few bolts that slowed their progress. 

Geoffrey felt like he was on fire. His body blindly obeyed his mind, and his senses were sharper than ever. It was like the rush he had felt when he drank King Arthur's blood, except he didn't need it anymore.

But his newfound power hadn’t come without a consequence. He had become careless, overconfident. For some reason, his own strength had become harder to control. Before he realised, strong claws had raked at his back and drawn out blood and screams out of the hunter. 

Geoffrey's sword rattled on the decaying floorboards. Sweat dripped down his face. For a second, everything seemed to stand still.

He struck back, but this time not with blades or bolts. Just like a kettle reaching its highest temperature and furiously releasing steam, something came out of Geoffrey that he didn't know he had. Something feral, primal and extremely powerful.

His fingers, no,  _ his claws _ slashed through the rotten flesh of the skals with frightening ease. Shadows danced around Geoffrey, bended at his will, to pierce through his enemies. The splattered blood was dizzyingly pungent, almost overwhelming. It made Geoffrey's jaws ache.

The hunter stood in the now dead silent room. A shiver ran down his spine as he looked at his hands, blunt nails at the end of each finger. He realised the room was actually completely dark, but he could see perfectly anyway.

It had been no hallucination, he admitted to himself. The soft pressure of fangs against his lips and the enticing smell of blood were far too real. 

"Fuck…" He brought a trembling hand to his head.

Reid had been right, or had he? For some reason, he had mistaken him as human. Everyone had, including Geoffrey himself.

Geoffrey grabbed a stake from his belt, angled it against his chest.

A leech was still a leech, and Priwen had a rule for these cases.

He just had to drive the stake through his heart. It would be quick, and hopefully painless.

He couldn't do it.

There was still so much left he wanted to do. Without him, Priwen would have no leader. Plus, he now was stronger than ever. He could become a leech's worst enemy with his new power.

But first he needed answers. There was something clearly not right about his new cursed nature, and his read through Priwen's available documents had nothing that could explain it.

Only one man would be willing to help him find answers. Or a leech, rather. Someone inquisitive and insistent on aiding everyone. Someone he had kept on pushing away.

Geoffrey hoped he wouldn't regret his choice. He already had his fair share of mistakes the past few weeks.

But he was ready to admit he couldn't do this alone.

He needed Reid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um... yeah this fic has become longer than expected yet again.
> 
> See you in a couple weeks! (unless life and depression decide to bully me yet again)


End file.
